


Salt on the Wound

by cubbiebunkie



Category: Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Child Abuse, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Pain, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 23:51:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20236429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cubbiebunkie/pseuds/cubbiebunkie
Summary: Logan visits Duncan after a round with his father. He's clearly handling this in the most insane way possible, but what's a best friend to do?





	Salt on the Wound

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Salt Onto The Wound](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/507631) by hyperemmalawlz. 

> First post here. This is a heavy edit / rewrite inspired by Hyperemmalawlz ficlet of the same name on her Livejournal page from 9 years ago. I happened across the work after a fortuitous Google search and found the concept so intriguing and the dialogue between the characters so fresh, that I felt compelled to give the piece a spin. It isn't perfect, but I hope it is seen as a celebration of the work and a thank you to the original author. All the best.

______________________________

“So, I’m just warning you, this is gonna fucking suck.” Duncan’s hairs are on end, and he's nervously chewing his inner lip trying not to think too much about this whole scenario.

But Logan just shrugs. “Whatever. Can’t get much worse, right?” he says flippantly. Duncan cringes at his total nonchalance. It’s hardly the first time, but whenever his best friend shows up with Aaron Echolls' Wound of the Week, Logan never acts like he cares. But Duncan, he can’t help but shudder at what he sees. It all just seems so contradictory. Then again, Duncan’s pretty sure most of Logan’s act is bullshit. It had to be. So, sure then, whatever.

“Dude, not funny,” he blanches. “And remind me again why we aren’t using a proper disinfectant? Like _ sane_ people?”

Logan just rolls his eyes. “You act like Daddy Dearest wouldn’t do this to me on his own or something. I’d rather be prepared.”

A shiver rolls up Duncan’s spine. “Could you not compare me to your Dad in the future?”

Logan smiles. “Done.”

Duncan swallows hard. “Uhh, I still think you should-”

“No.”

“Dude-”

“Nothing would happen DK. Christ, you’re so naive. It’d just fuck everything up more, I guarantee you.” Logan was so calm about it. Almost patronizing even. Duncan knew the stakes. He wanted to call bullshit, but he doesn’t, because Logan’s probably right. And what would he know about all of this anyway? He’s frustrated, but he just sighs. 

“Fine man. Lay on your stomach.”

Logan smirks and bats his eyelashes. “Why sir, are you trying to take advantage of me?” He laughs while Duncan rolls his eyes. That humor, his laughter, it’s all so bizarre in the moment; surreal even when Duncan’s forced to stare down the wounds. Long welts of mottled red running down his best friend’s back. Some raised, some bleeding, all looking sore and angry. Logan is currently asking him to make it _ worse _. It was fucking with his head. But he was going to do it. Because Logan asked. One of these days, he’d stop being a coward and make Aaron pay. He’d rip that bastard’s head clean off his shoulders--

“Earth to DK.” Logan brings Duncan back into the moment. “Can you get on with it dude?”

“Just so you know, I think this is fucking insane.” He’s patting some salt onto his palms.

Logan shrugs. “Well yeah, but you’ll do it anyway, because you’re a pussy.” He chuckles.

“Just shut up.” There’s a deep pause as Duncan sucks in his breath. “Well...here goes,” he's thinking out loud, winding up his body, willing his mind to stop spinning; he needs to hurdle as fast as he can over this moment and just get it over with. Swiftly, but softly, he brings one hand down on Logan’s back. And immediately, his best friend screams. A controlled scream through clenched teeth that reverberates more through the body than the air. But a scream nonetheless. Duncan jumps back. He looks at the blood on his hand, the crystals of salt dripping in the open wounds, he’s going to be sick. He fights the urge to retch.

“Hey man, it’s fine, okay? What else did we expect right?” He’s flippant again. How can he switch modes so quickly? This entire situation was not fine. What was Duncan doing? Logan speaks up again. “You know, if you keep standing there, I’m gonna have to resort to pissing you off until you salt me for spite.” He gives Duncan his characteristic slick grin. 

He sighs. He’s so fucked right now, ugh; there’s no going back. “You’re so fucking insane.” He means it, but it comes out as a tease. Logan just laughs lightly, and Duncan brings his hand down again. This time, Logan doesn’t cry out. But Duncan can tell from the way his body shocks, and his face contorts, that yeah, _ it really fucking hurts _, but he doesn’t want to ask how much. He knows Logan wouldn’t say. Who was he putting this show on for anyway? 

So it continued like that. Logan masking whatever he was feeling, but his body betraying him with every short spasm, and every gritted wince. Duncan following along, his hand recoiling back after every touch. But he barrels forward until, “There. All, done.” Logan lays still on his stomach. “And I swear to God, if you ever make me do this again.”

“Hah, all right, cowboy.” And there was Logan’s signature laugh again. Duncan was impressed, but also flustered.

But he just nods and smiles down at his best friend. “All right.” And he moves to clean up his hands and a silence falls between them. The mood's still hanging in the air, and the room is still. “So... you’re gonna stick around?”

‘Uh, what do you think?” Logan says it jokingly, but yeah, it was a stupid question. Logan shifts and rises, his eyes fall on the bedside table, loose crystals of salt, dirtied hand towels, and the smallest hint of blood. He shrugs. “You know, you didn’t have to do that. I half expected you to call me crazy and to stop being a psycho.”

“Yeah, I wanted to. But didn’t.”

Logan just blinks. “Why? I mean, why go through with it?”

“I don’t know man, because you asked me to?” As if that was explanation enough.

Logan just nods, now struggling to get as comfortable as he can on the sofa. “Cool, yeah, that was kind of the whole point I guess. That you’d go for my plan to make myself feel better, even if you fucking hated it.”

Duncan stares at him. He doesn’t understand how Logan could feel better after _ that _. But then again, he doesn’t understand a lot of things, and considers himself lucky for that. “You know, I’m not thinking that’s a good thing dude.”

But Logan just shrugs. “Nah, probably not. But whatever right?”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, criticisms, questions, and the like are accepted and appreciated.


End file.
